Car-starter



(No Model.)

S. J. PEARSALL.

I UAR STARTER. i

Patented Nov. 26, 1889'.

WITNESSES: v IIVVENTOR:

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

SAMUEL J. PEARSALL, OF SARATOGA SPRINGS, NEW YORK.

CAR-STARTER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 415,924, dated November 26, 18489,

Application flled April 23, 1889. Serial No. 308,246. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, SAMUEL J. PEARSALL, of Saratoga Springs, in the county of Saratoga and State of New York, have invented a new Figure 1 is an inverted plan view of theim Fig. 2 is a longitudi- Fig. 3 is a detail view of the ratchet-wheel, and Fig. 4 is a plan view of the improvement.

The car A, to which the car-starter is appliedyis provided with the usual axles B and B, on which are mounted the wheels 0 O and C O, respectively,traveling on the car-track. On the rear axle B is held to rotate loosely a toothed wheel D, on one face of which are pivprovement as applied.

oted the pawls E E, pressed in contact by the.

springs F, with the teeth of a ratchet-wheel G secured on the axle B. The pawls E E are preferably located diametrically opposite each other, as plainly shown in Fig. 3.

On each side of the toothed wheel D is held to rotate loosely on the axle B a pulley II or ll, over which pass the ropes or cords l I, connected at their lower ends to a rope or cord 1, extending forward and secured to one face of a clutch-wheel J, mounted to rotate loosely on the front axle B. The clutch wheel J is adapted to be engaged by a clutch-tooth 0 formed on the inner face of one of the carwheels 0. On the hub of the clutch-wheel J is formed an annular groove J, engaged by a loop K, forming part of a lever K, pivoted on the under side of the platform of the car A. The other end of the lever K is pivotally connected with the lower end of a lever L, fulcrumed in the car-platform and extending vertically above the same, so as to be within con venient reach of the driver on the front platform of the car.

The upper'ends of the ropes or cords I are connected with the end of a sprocket-chain N, connected with one end of a coil-spring 0, extending longitudinally in a box P, formed on the upper side of the bottom of the car A, under one of the rows of seats in the car. The other end of the spring 0 is secured to a stud or screw Q, secured in the bottom of the box P, as is plainly shown in Fig. 2. On this stud or screw Q is also secured one end of a rope or rod R, passing through the center of the coil-spring O and connected with the end of the sprocket-chain N.

' The operation is as follows: When the carstarter is inactive, as'shown in Fig. 1, the

resting near the stud Q and holding the sprocket-chain N disengaged from the toothed wheel D. lVhen the operator on the platform of the car desires to use the car-starter, he moves the lever L to one side, so that the lever K swings and throws the clutch-wheel J into contact with the clutch-tooth C on the car-wheel O. The latter, on the forward motion of the car, rotates the clutch-wheel J, whereby the cords or ropes I are wound up on the hub of the said clutch-wheel and draw the sprocket-chain N into contact with the teeth of the toothed wheel D. As the latter rotates with the rear axle B by means of the ratchet-wheel G and the pawls E the sprocket-chain N drawn over the toothed wheel D,thus extending the coil-spring 0 un- -til the rope R is extended its full length, so

as to prevent a further expansion of the coilspring 0. The car-starter has now accumulated force which is stored in the tension of the spring 0. \Vhen the operator now desires to make use of the stored-up force, he moves the lever L in the opposite direction, so as to disengage the clutch-wheel J from the tooth O whereby the spring 0 is free to act on the pulleys and the sprocket-chain N in the direction of the arrow a-that is, in the same direction as the previous movement of the car. The sprocket-chain N, on account of being engaged by the teeth of the toothed wheel D, rotates the latter, and by its pawls clutch-wheel J is disengaged from the clittchtooth C and the coil-spring O is compressed,

E imparts a rotary motion to the ratchetwheel G, secured on the axle B, whereby the latter is rotated in the same direct-ionthat is, impels the car forward in the direction of the arrow a. The car thus receives a forward motion from the stored force of the coil-spring.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In a car-starter, the combination, with a toothed wheel held loosely on one of the caraxles, of spring-pawls pivoted on said toothed wheel, a ratchet-wheel secured on the respective car-axle on which the said toothed wheel rotates loosely, a sprocket-chain adapted to engage the said toothed wheel, and a spring connected at one end to the said sprocketchain and at its other end to the car, substantially as shown and described.

2 In a car-starter, the combination, with a toothed Wheel held loosely on one of the caraxles, of spring-pawls pivoted 011 said toothed wheel, a ratchet-Wheel secured on the respectivecar-axle, on which the said toothed wheel rotates loosely, a sprocket-chain adapted to engage the said toothed wheel, a spring connected at one end to the said sprocket-chain and at its other end to the car, and means, substantially as described, for drawing the said sprocket-chain in contact with the said toothed wheel, substantially as shown and described.

,3. In a car-starter, the combination, with a toothed wheel held loosely onone of the caraxles, of spring-pawls pivoted on said toothed wheel, a ratchet-wheel secured on the respective car-axle, on which the said toothed Wheel rotates loosely, a sprocket-chain adapted to engage the said toothed wheel, a spring connected at one end to the said sprocket-chain and at its other end to the car, a rope connected with the said sprocket-chain, a clutchwheel connected with the said rope and mounted to turn loosely on the front axle, and a clutch-tooth held on one of the front axlewheels and adapted to be engaged by the said cl utch-wheel, substantially as shown and described.

4. In a'car-starter, the combination, with a toothed wheel held loosely on one of the caraxles, of spring-pawls pivoted on said toothed wheel, a ratchetrwheel secured on the respective car-axle, on which the said toothed wheel rotates loosely, a sprocket-chain adapted to engage the said toothed Wheel, a spring connected at one end to the said sprocket-chain and at its other end to the car, a rope connected with the said sprocket-chain, a clutchwheel connected with the said rope and mounted to turn loosely on the front axle, a cultch-tooth held on one of the front axlewheels and adapted to beengaged by the said clutch-wheel ,and means, substantially as described, for throwing the said clutch-wheel in and out of gear with the said clutch-tooth, substantially as shown and described.

SAMUEL J. PEARSALL. Witnesses:

EDWARD S. PEARSALL, HENRY HIETTRICH. 

